The #1 Reason Content Flops (And How You Can Avoid It)

David Schwertfeger -

I have a shocking statistic for you today.

The average social media post gets only 1-2% engagement. People are bombarded with hundreds of posts a day. But only a handful capture their attention.

Why do you think that is? Why are most posts getting ignored? And what do the outliers do differently?

The answer lies in transformation.

You see…

The problem with most content is that it doesn't offer meaningful change.

It may provide information. But it often fails to help readers move from challenges to desired outcomes. And without a clear path from problem to solution, it's easily overlooked.

Now, you might think that transformative content means only giving actionable advice. But that's not the case.

Let me explain.

To understand this, we need to distinguish between thoughts and ideas.

A thought is an observation. It points out a problem without a plan to fix it. For example, "Content that flops often lacks transformation" is a thought.

It acknowledges the issue but doesn’t offer a solution.

An idea goes further.

It takes an observation and offers a new way to understand or address it. An idea shifts beliefs, challenges assumptions, or offers practical steps from problem to solution.

A few examples:

  • Shift beliefs. The most impactful content doesn't just state facts. It inspires you to think or act differently. Focus on impact over information.
  • Challenge assumptions. Content doesn't have to be long to be transformative. Short content that focuses on a specific need can also be impactful.
  • Offer practical steps to solve a problem. You can make any piece of content more transformative with the Triple-R framework.

And that's what we're going to talk about next.

Create Transformative Content With the Triple‑R Framework

Content that fails to stir emotions, provoke thought, or spark action is like giving a motivational speech to a sleeping sloth.

But you can avoid this by making sure your content is relevant, resonant, and relatable.

Relevance

Relevance means your content directly connects to your audience's interests, challenges, and goals. Instead of giving general advice, understand and address their unique needs.

For example, if you're in the fitness niche, you could talk to stay-at-home moms or busy tech founders. And your content should reflect that.

  • Stay-at-home moms: Quick workouts they can do during nap time. Exercises their children can join to make fitness a family activity. Healthy, simple recipes that suit the family's taste buds.
  • Busy tech founders: High-intensity routines that fit into tight schedules. Workouts they can do in a hotel room. Desk yoga to reduce stress and improve posture between meetings. How to maintain healthy eating habits despite demanding workloads.

See how specific this is?

This precise framing captures their attention and makes them feel your content was crafted just for them.

Resonance

Your content resonates when it connects on an emotional level.

Emotions greatly influence our decisions. So, if you want to inspire your audience to change their perspective, make them feel heard and understood.

You can do this by sharing stories that reflect their experiences.

  • Personal stories. Show how you've been in the same situation but eventually solved the problem.
  • Other's success stories. Share client success stories that show how they overcame similar obstacles.
  • Lessons learned. Share the lessons you've learned from challenging times or mistakes you've made.

Post stories and observations that focus on their pains, frustrations, goals, and aspirations.

This creates a strong bond between you and your audience.

Relatability

Share relatable struggles, habits, and personality traits to show you understand your audience. This builds trust. And it helps them see themselves in your content and feel part of the same group.

Here are 5 ways to weave relatability into your content.

  • Habits: Talk about daily routines or challenges to show you're like them.
  • Values: Highlight shared beliefs and principles that shape your decisions and behaviors.
  • Interests: Mention books, hobbies, or music you enjoy to connect with people who like the same things.
  • Language: Use the same words your audience uses to resonate deeply.
  • Personality: Share your qualities. Maybe you're reflective, analytical, or drawn to aesthetic design. This often shines through in how you present your content, not the content itself.

A strong sense of belonging makes your audience more invested in your message. Relevance, resonance, and relatability build this bond.

Don't just write what you want to write about.

Write what your audience needs to hear.